Order for demolition posted on apartment near NuLu after fire, not 'feasible to save'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- One day after a fire gutted an apartment complex near downtown Louisville, a sign has been posted saying the building has been referred to be demolished.

"I don't think there's any way you could save this building it's so far gone and so much damage," said Allen Porter, a certified building inspection supervisor. "I don't think it's really feasible to save it and so there is an emergency order to demolish on the property now."

Porter said his role includes looking at the extent of damage at a property and whether there is a possibility of collapse.

The 310 @ NuLu apartment building was cordoned off with red tape Tuesday, with no one allowed to go inside. The complex, located at 310 S. Hancock Street in the Phoenix Hill neighborhood, burned after a fire broke out around 6 a.m. Monday morning.

Louisville Fire Chief Brian O'Neill said everyone made it out safely, but parts of the building eventually started to collapse. Just before 7 a.m. Monday, firefighters were forced to evacuate while fighting the blaze.

"You can see daylight all the way down through second floor windows, meaning there is nothing from there all the way to the roof," O'Neill said. 

The fire left dozens of people searching for a new home. Officials said 37 of the units were occupied and in total, more than 60 people have been displaced. The Red Cross has been working with residents to help with next steps.

Those displaced include neighbors living in a Liberty Green duplex next to the complex.

"Our concern then is the exterior walls -- if those might collapse," O'Neill said. "We have evacuated the buildings that are right next door to make sure that in case there is a collapse on that we don't want anybody injured."

The people living at the duplex next door could be allowed to return in a couple of days according to the Louisville Metro Housing Authority. For the time being, the management company for Liberty Green arranged for a three-night stay at a nearby hotel.

Porter said with the extensive damage at the apartment complex, the 310 @ NuLu building is unsafe.

"I'm just afraid that it's not safe to enter at all," he said.

Porter said he believes most of the roof has collapsed at the apartment building.

"Multiple floors had collapsed on themselves, saw some damage to the exterior, brick veneer, too, which, looked like that was ready to fall, too," he said.

Porter said a potential date has not yet been set for demolition.

O'Neill said part of the reason this fire spread so quickly is due to the building's design. 

"If you think about a traditional floor with floor joists, say a 2-by-8, 2-by-10 floor joist, if fire gets in there, it can run that joist space which is going to be about 14 inches, and it's going to have to burn through that 2-by-8 or 2-by-10 to get to the next space," he said. "With a truss floor like we saw over there and like we see in a lot of new construction, it's a series of triangles but it's wide open so as soon as a fire gets in there, it can spread the entire floor very, very quickly." 

Investigators looking into how and exactly where the fire started are having to relying on videos from drones and what they saw on scene.

However, O'Neill said "there's probably not going to be much hope of really finding the exact cause."

Multiple residents stopped by Tuesday to take a look from the distance at what's left of the building, saying many items were left behind inside as they escaped.

"If there is the opportunity to try to -- as they move to demolish this building to take it down -- to any way sort through those things, that people can try to get some of their possessions they may not have been damaged in fire or may not be beyond repair with water, we're going to try to help with that," said O'Neill. "But our Fire Prevention Bureau has been over there to take a look at it, they have put in an order for emergency demolition ..." 

O'Neill said all of the tenants at the complex were required to have renters insurance. 

In addition to personal belongings inside the units, there are also cars parked in the garage on the bottom floor that people are not able to get to. 

"Much of the apartments on top of that have collapsed into that garage. So, we don't really know the state of any of the cars that are down in there or if we'll even be able to safely get to them. Once again, good thing they have insurance and of course the most important thing is we were able to get everyone safely out," said O'Neill.

Firefighters continued to be at the scene well into the day Tuesday to monitor the building.

Related Stories:

• Design of Louisville apartment complex intensified fast-spreading fire
• Dozens displaced after apartment complex fire in Louisville Monday morning
• Louisville firefighters use thousands of gallons of water to douse apartment fire in Phoenix Hill
• 2 rescued from fire in vacant house in Louisville's Portland neighborhood

Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.